Srinagar, Oct 3: RSS ideologue MG Vaidya’s ‘Kashmir Plan’ has evoked sharp reaction from the state’s politicians, with both mainstream and separatist leaders unanimously rejecting JK’s division as a solution to the dispute. “We completely reject any proposal that calls for disintegration of Jammu and Kashmir,” said the Hurriyat Conference (G) chairman, Syed Ali Geelani, in reaction to Vaidya’s views.
“J&K is a single unit and it should always remain so. That is why we want right to self determination so that everyone in Jammu and Kashmir gets a chance to express his opinion. The majority vote will ultimately prevail.”
 The plan, Geelani asserted, was anti-Muslim and anti-history. “We want that the geographical unity of Jammu and Kashmir should remain intact and that is possible only through the right to self determination.”
 Calling RSS as a ‘communal and fanatic’ party, the ruling National Conference said it had no authority to express views on Kashmir dispute. “Is it for RSS to dictate what should happen to Jammu and Kashmir? It has nothing to do with Kashmir issue,” said the senior NC leader, Dr Mehboob Beg.
 He, however, made it clear that National Conference would never support disintegration of the state. “There is no question of disintegration of Jammu and Kashmir. Before 1947, Jammu and Kashmir was independent country. We are for complete restoration, not granting, of autonomy to the entire Jammu and Kashmir. Autonomy was the two-sided agreement between Jammu and Kashmir and New Delhi. So that has to be restored,” he told Greater Kashmir. “It (Kashmir dispute) is none of their (RSS) business. It is a communal and fanatic organization. One doesn’t expect anything great from fanatics. If they have a say, then the entire Muslim population has to vacate from India,” he said.
 The Peoples Democratic Party president, Mehbooba Mufti, refused to react to the RSS plan. “It (Vaidya Plan) is somebody’s personal views. So there is no point commenting on it,” she said.
 The Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front chairman, Muhammad Yasin Malik said there was no point commenting on somebody’s individual views. “It (Vaidya plan) is an individual say. He has no position in RSS now. So there is no point commenting on it,” he said.
 According to political observers, the Vaidya plan was a textbook solution to a complex problem. “Such a plan is often referred to as reorganization of the state. In other words it is called rightsizing it or reducing size of the problem. At present, when you take Jammu and Kashmir as a whole or if you take pre-1953 into account, then you are creating a very complicated entity which is distinct and heterogeneous, culturally, geographically, ethnically or even  religiously. Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh is a complexity. It is not only multi-ethnic but, interestingly, you have three different variants of politics. Politics in Kashmir Valley and Muslim pockets of Jammu is partly driven by Kashmiri nationalism and Muslim identity whereas politics in Hindu parts of Jammu region and that of Kashmir Pandits in Valley is largely driven by Indian nationalism. Politics in Buddhist Leh is also integrationist politics,” said the political commentator, Prof Gul Muhammad Wani. “In 1947 it was Kashmiri nationalism which asserted itself. In 1953, Kashmiri nationalism plus Muslim identity asserted itself. In 1989, it was again Muslim identity re-asserting and Kashmir identity getting slightly subdued. With the rise of militancy, it was forces representing Kashmiri nationalism, forces representing Pakistani identity and those representing Pan Islamism. Today it is a different situation.”
 He said Vaidya plan was a textbook solution to Kashmir dispute. “This is like another textbook solution on Kashmir. There is a problem of Kashmir. Leave aside India or Pakistan, the question is how you are going to resolve the political aspirations of the three regions. You have to devise certain constitutional mechanisms to resolve it,” Prof Wani said. “What former RSS ideologue has said has also been said by Salig Harrison, an American expert on South Asia, in early 1980’s. Dr Karan Singh has by and large moved around this type of a formulation. Syed Shahabuddin also articulated this type of thinking. They are all for reducing the size of the problem.
 But against this theory is the view that in the 21st century when we are looking at political problems from geo-economic perspective, is it feasible to go for internal reorganization of the state. There is an external factor to Kashmir. There is Pakistan. And then there are others on a secular plane. For example, Indian communists or Congress party for that matter. They are looking at JK state as a microcosm of India. I don’t know how many takers Vaidya’s plan will have in Kashmir because there is a question of conflicting aspirations of the people of three regions when it comes to political solution to Kashmir dispute.”

Lastupdate on : Sun, 3 Oct 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sun, 3 Oct 2010 18:30:00 GMT
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